NEW YORK (NYTIMES) - Organisers of a high-profile summer tournament for world soccer's biggest club teams have decided to keep Juventus and its star Cristiano Ronaldo away from the United States this year, eliminating the risk of the Portuguese star's being detained by authorities as part of a rape investigation in Las Vegas.
While the bulk of the games in the tournament, the International Champions Cup, will take place in the United States as usual, Juventus' games will be a part of the Asian version of the annual event.
Juventus will be joined there - most likely in China and Singapore - by Premier League teams Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
Ronaldo, a five-time world player of the year, is in his first season in Italy's top league after Juventus paid more than US$114 million (S$154 million) to acquire him from Real Madrid last July.
Only months after his transfer, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said it had reopened an investigation into accusations by an American woman, Kathryn Mayorga, who said Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009 and later paid her US$375,000 for her silence.
Ronaldo and his lawyers repeatedly denied the rape accusation when it emerged in September; Ronaldo labelled it "fake news" in a video posted on one of his social media accounts, and at one point his lawyers threatened to sue the German newsmagazine that was the first to publish Mayorga's accusations.
Juventus stood behind its star, too, expressing appreciation for his "great professionalism and dedication" and saying Mayorga's accusations "do not change this opinion."
Â
Â
Â
Juventus has a multiyear agreement to play in the International Champions Cup, which is organised by New York-based Relevent Sports.
Ronaldo's legal troubles played a role in shaping plans for Juventus' participation, according to people familiar with this summer's schedule, which will be released next week.
A spokesman for Juventus, which is on course to win an eighth straight Italian league championship, said "going east" to Asia was normal after spending recent preseasons in the United States.
While preseason tours are not seen as serious competition, they are vital for teams' preparations before the new season, and Juventus would have drawn unwanted scrutiny had it travelled to the US without Ronaldo, its star attraction.
The case against Ronaldo resurfaced after German magazine Der Spiegel said it had obtained confidential documents related to the case, and the purported payment by Ronaldo to settle it, from whistleblower platform Football Leaks.
Around the same time, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said it had reopened its investigation into the rape accusation, following up on information it said had been provided by the victim.
Ronaldo, now 33, was a star at England's Manchester United when he met Mayorga, now 35, at a Las Vegas nightclub in 2009, just before his record-breaking transfer to Real Madrid. He invited her and others to his suite in the early hours of June 13, 2009, she said, where she says he sexually assaulted her.
A number of the documents Mayorga's lawyers say support her claim were published by Der Spiegel, which also published a lengthy interview with Mayorga. Ronaldo's lawyers have questioned the authenticity of some of the documents published by Der Spiegel but have not denied that Ronaldo and Mayorga had a sexual encounter, which they contend was consensual.
According to her lawsuit, Mayorga reported being assaulted to police later that day and underwent a medical examination, during which evidence was collected in what is sometimes known as a rape kit.
Las Vegas police have acknowledged that Mayorga filed a report and was examined, but police said she did not name her attacker at the time.
The case was reopened at Mayorga's request in September.
Football: Barcelona on a mission to right the wrongs
MANCHESTER United caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said the owners of Norwegian club Molde sent him to Old Trafford with their blessing and asked him to try to turn his temporary stint at the club into a permanent role.
Football: Molde owners will support me if I stay at
Ikhsan Fandi's career in Norway has got off to a good start after he scored his first goal in Raufoss IL's 6-1 win over Elverum FC in a friendly. The 19-year-old pounced and smashed in a
Football: Teen forward Ikhsan Fandi off to Norway for trial
Cardiff claim they are shocked by a report that the pilot in the plane crash that killed Emiliano Sala was not qualified to fly at night.
Cardiff City 'shocked' by Emiliano Sala pilot report
Apr 25, 2019 · Klopp: Whatever happens in title run-in, we'll have 'no regrets' "I'm calm, and I just want to think about the Colombia team and later we'll see." Colombia plays Peru in a
Jurgen Klopp remains calm despite Borussia Dortmund's poor
After Vincent Kompany's decision to join boyhood club Anderlecht as player-manager, we reflect on his best moments at Manchester City. Vincent Kompany said he had "lived the dream" as he
Vincent Kompany after FA Cup win: Man City are best team in
Lure of Italy strong, says Chelsea's homesick Sarri afp.com. 16 mins ago. Trump joins the Queen for D-Day anniversary. Russian jet intercepts US aircraft 3 times in 3 hours
Homesick Sarri hints at Italy return, but Juventus still
Football: Free curry fish head, bak chor mee for Liverpool fans if Reds beat Tottenham to win Champions League Related Story Football: Jubilant Liverpool fans celebrate Champions League win in Madrid
Brock Lesnar UFC rival Daniel Cormier reveals reason why WWE
sportstons.com/wwe/brock-lesnar-ufc-rival-daniel-cormier-reveals-reason-why-wwe-megastar-retired-from-mma/
Football: Free curry fish head, bak chor mee for Liverpool fans if Reds beat Tottenham to win Champions League May 31, 2019 WWE Comments Off on Brock Lesnar UFC rival Daniel Cormier reveals reason why WWE megastar retired from MMA
Newspapers | Media | Virginia Bus
virginiabus.info/news/jjs-greed-helped-fuel-us-opioid-crisis-oklahoma-claims-at-trial/
Football: Ex-FAS general secretary Winston Lee appointed as new gen-sec of Asean Footall Federation; Football: Free curry fish head and bak chor mee for Liverpool fans if Reds beat Tottenham to win Champions League; Fundamental problem between US and China is 'mutual lack of strategic trust': PM Lee; Pay $5 for a Mao Shan Wang durian
Tottenham Hotspur News, Scores, Schedule, Stats, Teamsheet
Mourinho Concedes Man Utd Incapable Of Living With Liverpool league group stage football match against Valencia on December 11, 2018. continued as United strained to keep a rampant
Mourinho concedes Man Utd incapable of living with Liverpool
Pochettino loses his cool as Spurs slump, Huddersfield closer to relegation Mauricio Pochettino launched a furious rant at referee Mike Dean after Tottenham's Premier League title challenge
Football: Pochettino loses his cool as Spurs slump
BOURNEMOUTH: Footballer Emiliano Sala's family grieved on Friday (Feb 8) after British authorities formally identified his body as the one recovered from the submerged wreckage of a plane that
Body in Channel wreckage identified as footballer Sala
0 comments:
Post a Comment